While we were away I shot video as well as stills. Here are four short 'stories' which you might enjoy.
We loved people watch in Piazza Navona in Rome. There's always something happening. One of the Piazza's regular buskers is a most attractive accordion player. The day I filmed this, there was also a religious event or parade in honour of the patron saint of emergency workers as far as we could make out.
We loved our week in Venice. We rented an apartment right on a canal (not hard to do of course) and made the most of great weather as we walked and walked. Great way to see this amazing place.
We spent a week on the Rhine on a river cruise. It's a great way to see the countryside. Between Amsterdam and Basel there are 16 locks. These are everyday events for Rhine boats - but a real novelty.
One afternoon while walking down one of the Fondamenta (path next to a canal) in the north of the island, we came cross a canal-side shipyard where there were two gondolas in the final stages of being built. As I rolled the camera, boats and gondolas came from all directions - making a great sequence.
Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the sights on video.
Saturday 22 November 2014
Thursday 20 November 2014
How to write a travel blog: Lesson 2
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the picturesThis is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
- Select shots that illustrate your text.
- Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
- Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
- Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
- A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
- A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
- You control the look and feel of your blog
- I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Choosing the pictures
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
This is Lesson 2 in this series of posts on how to write a travel blog.
With everyone using digital cameras, taking a picture no longer requires you to think about how many shots you have left on the roll of film, etc and so we take ten times as many (if not more) pictures than we once used to.
Whilst this is not a bad thing, it does mean that we're far less selective about what we do take. When you come to chose some pictures for your blog, it's easy to go overboard. Whilst I'm not saying don't take lots of pictures, bear in mind that most of your family and friends know what the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum or the Grand Canal in Venice looks like.
The rise of the 'selfie' pole
All over Europe, street traders sell the 'selfie pole'. This is a telescopic arm with a bracket for your Smartphone at one end and a remote triggering device at the other end - the end you hold. You see people using them everywhere - holding one end with the camera end up in the air taking their photograph. This means that rather than looking at the scene in front of you, you stand with your back to it with your 'selfie pole' in the air so the camera gets a shot of you with the scene behind you.
Watching people with these devices it seemed that getting a 'selfie' was far more important than actually standing looking at the scene with their eyes.
My travel blog does have a few shots of my wife and I in different locations but I also wanted to use my images to illustrate some of things we had seen that day and written about in the text.
Guidelines for blog photos
* Select shots that illustrate your text.
* Don't use the cliche shots that you see every day, find a different or unusual angle. If you like, use one of the inbuilt filters in the iPad to add an effect. I used one filter quite consistently if I was posting a photo of an old building or other historic feature.
* Be selective - no more than four or five images per blog post.
* Your family and friends will want to see you enjoying yourselves, so every day or so, post a location picture.
If you have limited or an intermittent data connection, less photos will make it quick to upload each day's post.
Finally ...
Much better to write 300/500 words and select four or five great photos that will give your readers a sample of your holiday, than write heaps and upload all that day's photos. When you get home you can have the 'slide night'
Blog or Facebook?
While I also posted to Facebook, I like a blog better for the following reasons:
* A blog always shows just the posts you have written, whereas Facebook has your posts in the timeline which means they're mixed up with all your other friends posts. This makes it hard for people to see all your posts together
* A blog can be seen and commented on by anyone, not just people on Facebook. (This is becoming less of a problem of course as almost everyone is on Facebook.)
* You control the look and feel of your blog
* I used Facebook just to post a link to each day's blog post
Happy posting.
- See more at: http://www.martinjohnsoncommunications.com.au/pro-videoblogger/how-to-write-a-travel-blog-lesson-2#sthash.IMq9q4lr.dpuf
Sunday 9 November 2014
How to write a travel blog. Lesson 1
After we got back mid-October, we had lots of nice comments from people who had followed our journey on this blog and said how much they enjoyed reading it. "Not too long and just the right amount of pictures," was the most common comment.
So, I figured it might be worth sharing some ideas on how I went about it, in case this is something you're thinking about.
Plan ahead
Nothing complicated about this first point, but it is worth thinking about how you'll access your blog when you're travelling and how you'll upload images. I used Google Blogger and here's why:
- I could access my blog from my iPhone and iPad using the Google Blogger app. The app is easy to use and once it's set up, is a snack to use on either device.
- I used a camera that has an SD card for storage. Using the SD card reader plugged into my iPad gave me immediate access to all the photos on the card. I selected four or five (more about this later) and saved them to a folder on Photos on the iPad.
- I also used the iPad's photo filter option to effect some of the photos. While there are not as many filter options as Instagram - I was able to create some nice effects.
- Once I had the photos on my iPad I could then write the text.
Whatever blogging platform you chose, make sure it's easily accessible from dodgy locations. (One modification I had to make was to tell Blogger the maximum image size to display. This seems to be a problem with the current version, but I was able to find help on-line. )
What do I write about?
I don't find this hard at all, but here's how I decide;
- Start with the day's best experience and write in a simple, easy to read style
- Write about what was exciting or different or memorable to you. (See my blog for examples)
- Don't make it a list of what you did during the day
- Keep it tight. This is hard - but no one wants to read your ramblings
- Edit if necessary and check spelling, typos etc. (I always found a typo after it was published ... )
- Pick a catchy headline, not 'Day One'.
Next post - how to chose the right photos
Friday 17 October 2014
Good night, goodbye and thanks for your comments ...
After five weeks, six countries, four high speed train rides, a Rhine River cruise and two internal flights, we're heading home. By the time you read this we'll hopefully be on our way from Paris to Hong Kong and then home.
Today we saw some more of Prague and spent a fascinating hour at the Museum of Communism. I can remember seeing news of the events of November, 1989 as Czechoslovakia went through the Velvet Revolution just months after the Berlin Wall fell. It only took 10 days for the old Communist regime to tumble here, compared to many months in other former Soviet countries in Central Europe.
The Czech Republic is now making its mark on the world with Prague, the 6th most visited city in Europe. After almost three days, we can see why.
It's as if all the residents of Prague have been to marketing school - everyone from the airport shuttle driver to the waiter at a restaurant is keen to promote their city and give you helpful advice.
Bust of Stalin at the Museum of Communism
Recreated interrogation room from the Communist era
Lenin - who together with Engels, started it all with his Communist Manifesto
St Wenceslas Square - scene of the Velvet Revolution
A cross marks the spot where two Czech nationals took their own lives by self-immolation in protest against the Communist government
These guys are everywhere, although the top one is a girl
Prague's 'dancing building'.
Thursday 16 October 2014
Notes from 5 weeks in Europe
After five weeks in Europe, here are some random thoughts and comments:
1. Things that were hard to get used to
* Paying to go to the toilet
* Having to search out toilets, particularly in Paris and Rome
* Standing there using the toilet while cleaning ladies mopped around your feet
* Smelling cigarette smoke everywhere
* Walking on cobbled streets (Janine)
* Luke warm capucino's in Rome
* Working out hotel room bedding when you just want a full width top sheet and a blanket
2. Things we loved
* The sense of energy and entrepreneurship very evident in Prague
* Free toilets in Prague (OK, I know a theme is developing)
* Seeing the beauty of European cities, villages and landscapes. (Alsace region, Venice, Murano and Burano)
* Not having to pack and unpack during our 7 day boat cruise
* Lying in bed as the Rhine landscape sailed by.
* Meeting people from all over the world and with so many Aussies over here, wondering who is running the country
* Food shopping in Paris, Rome and Venice to stock the larder
* Spritz drink made with Proseco, Campari, etc
* Listening to French children speak French
* The dress sense of French women
* Trying and loving new foods
* Repaying a 53 year old debt to the toilet attendant at the top of the Eiffel Tower
Walking tour of Prague ...
Today we went on a six hour guided walking tour of Prague, which included a short boat ride and a traditional Czech lunch. We were driven by bus to the Prague Castle and then over six hours made our way down the hill to the old city across the Charles Bridge.
It was a great way to see the city and hear about its history.
Janine and friend at the Prague Castle
The church inside the castle grounds
Old parking meters in the shape of the severed heads of those who would not renounce their Protestant faith
The John Lennon memorial wall
The Horological clock and main square
Wednesday 15 October 2014
Forget everything ... Prague is stunning
Today we left Zurich on a beautiful sunny day and arrived in Prague just after lunch. We didn't know what to expect, but good friends (Karl and Jane) suggested we had to stay there for a few days. It's gorgeous and we instantly fell in love with the city. That combined with a fantastic boutique hotel I discovered on-line which turned out to be even better than the web site images. (Hotel Residence Agnes) A distinct contrast to our Zurich hotel and for less than half the price!
It's a lovely mix of Paris and the best parts of Rome plus something else. We walked for about two hours after we arrived - see the pics below of the things we came across. The weather was beautiful - warm and sunny.
Tomorrow we head off on a six hour walking tour starting at the Castle and then working our way down into the old city.
Jazz on the Charles Bridge
Here's how to get your daughter to sit still while her portrait is drawn. Read her a story.
Our street as we walked home tonight from a beautiful dinner ....
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